MENTAL HEALTH INITIATIVES
On-side Mental Health Awareness
The On-Side Mental Health project is about sharing stories from officials who have struggled with their mental health at some point in their life. We are all a part of the same family and we are all committed to taking care of our teammates. The ultimate goal is to encourage and help remove the stigma from having day-to-day conversations about mental health. As much as officiating is a family, it is often a solitary exercise and it's too easy to hide our problems from the people in the officiating community. Most people are perfectly willing to discuss mental health when a tragedy occurs but as the dust settles, the stigma and fear of judgement or lack of understanding re-asserts itself. We want to help keep the dust from settling.
On-Side Mental Health Instagram
Hockey Talks
The Hockey Talks mental health awareness initiative began in 2013, following the tragic passing of Canucks player Rick Rypien in 2011. Rick was a hockey hero, a son, a brother, a teammate, and a friend. Rick's wish was to support others and help reduce the stigma associated with mental illness by being a spokesperson for this issue. The Vancouver Canucks are committed to honoring Rick's legacy by telling his story and carrying out his mission to support youth and families struggling with mental health challenges. This year, all 7 Canadian NHL teams and 5 US teams will host a Hockey Talks mental health awareness night in an effort to encourage conversation, share mental health resource information, and reduce the stigma.